Oversizing is the Key to Higher Profitability

SMA technology offers maximum freedom and safety

Technology matters when it comes to extreme oversizing: The Sunny Central inverters from SMA are designed for maximum oversizing capabilities. PV power plant projects with SMA central inverters profit from more flexibility, reliability, technology safety and highest profitability.

Oversizing of PV power plants serves to increase inverter capacity

With oversizing, the PV power plant’s nominal power is achieved faster in the morning, and the PV power plant remains connected to the grid longer in the evening. Calculated for the total operating time of the PV project, higher energy yields can thus be generated. Adequate oversizing increases the profitability of a PV power plant. The Sunny Central inverters from SMA with their robust design offer maximum flexibility for project-specific oversizing.

Reasons for Oversizing a PV power plant

Irradiation values are too low e.g. in the winter month, especially for power plants far outside the sunbelt regions
Ambient temperatures are too high
Pollution on the modules
Suboptimal orientation of the modules throughout the day (the factor decreases significantly with tracking systems)
Module degradation: module performance drops annually by approx. 0.5%; after 25 years approx.80% of the original nominal power still remains
Mismatching losses caused, for example, by cable losses

Taking the mirror cloud effect into account

SMA takes the effect of short-term solar irradiation increase (mirror cloud effect) into account with a high short circuit capability on the DC side of the inverter. This corresponds also to an outstanding oversizing possibility of up to 250 % (peak PV array power in relation to the maximum AC inverter output power).

If you want to learn more about the mirror cloud effect, you can find all information in s´the SMA Whitepaper.

Background
With the exception of installations at high altitudes, the sun's maximum irradiation power remains constant at around 1,000 W/m². However, according to studies conducted by Mike Zehner, what are known as cloud effects can lead to a short-term increase in solar irradiation on PV modules, which is caused by reflection of solar irradiation from cumulus clouds. According to the study, this effect would increase the irradiation values to up to 25% over the usual 1,000 W/m² (i.e., to up to 1,250 W/m²).

Read all information on the Mirror Cloud effect in the SMA Oversizing Whitepaper

Oversizing with opex benefit

With Sunny Central inverters, plant owners have the opportunity to get the maximum efficiency out of their PV power plant through an extremly high oversizing capacity while maintaining the same life expectancy, availability and operating costs of the devices.

Sunny Central Inverters offer:

High PV voltages up to 1,500 V -> 38% design margin
High PV short-circuit current by taking cloud effects into account
Oversizing up to 250%
More connected module power per inverter
Real utility inverter for PV power plants, designed and optimized for full load operation